Baby Olivia isn害羞草研究所檛 a real baby. It害羞草研究所檚 an animated fetus that develops over the course of a three-minute video that has become a new front in state-level politics.

Bills in the Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia legislatures would require public school students to watch a video like Baby Olivia, which was created by an organization that opposes abortion. The legislation mirrors a North Dakota law passed last year.

The organization, Live Action, and supporters of the legislation say it would teach kids where they came from and encourage an appreciation for human life. But some educators and physicians say the video is deceptive and problematic for a young audience.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a professional organization with over 60,000 members, said in an email that the video is anti-abortion misinformation 害羞草研究所渄esigned to manipulate the emotions of viewers.害羞草研究所�

Here害羞草研究所檚 a primer on the video and the debate it has sparked:

Who is Baby Olivia?

Baby Olivia is the starring character in an animated video that害羞草研究所檚 meant to visualize development in the womb. A voiceover introduces viewers to Olivia as an illustration of a fully developed baby in utero appears on screen. Olivia害羞草研究所檚 mouth and eyes open and close, and her hands move.

害羞草研究所淭hough she has yet to greet the outside world, she has already completed an amazing journey,害羞草研究所� the narrator says.

What is Live Action?

Live Action says on its website it 害羞草研究所渆xists today to shift public opinion害羞草研究所� on abortion and is dedicated to supporting a 害羞草研究所渃ulture of life.害羞草研究所�

Founder Lila Rose said the video was designed to be informative, lifelike and appropriate for anyone, and made in consultation with doctors. Of the six, two are trained OB-GYNs; the others are trained in anatomy, biochemistry, pediatric medicine and neuroscience.

The organization spent nearly $5 million in 2022 to create and distribute content widely, according to filing reports. Those reports also show Live Action more than quadrupled its cash from contributions and grants in just four years, totaling $14 million in 2022.

Live Action also is known for efforts to expose Planned Parenthood, publishing videos and reports obtained by posing as patients. Some of those efforts led Planned Parenthood $2 million in damages in 2019.

What害羞草研究所檚 in the video?

The video shows an egg being fertilized and implanted, then walks through embryonic and fetal developments over the course of a pregnancy.

It calls out general markers in what Rose said is an 害羞草研究所渁verage developmental process害羞草研究所� using 害羞草研究所渨eeks after fertilization.害羞草研究所� That害羞草研究所檚 different from 害羞草研究所渨eeks after the last menstrual cycle,害羞草研究所� which is what a pregnant person would typically hear from a doctor.

Iowa physicians and educators said in a letter to state lawmakers that by using weeks after fertilization, the video misleads viewers because the framing indicates milestones happen about two weeks earlier than is accurate.

Rose argued that 害羞草研究所渨eeks after fertilization害羞草研究所� is more typical of an academic context, like biology class, and Live Action said critics calling out inaccuracies are not taking that difference into account.

What else do critics point to?

The Iowa physicians and educators said references to are widely disputed. At six weeks, the embryo isn害羞草研究所檛 yet a fetus and doesn害羞草研究所檛 have a heart.

The video also describes the animated figure害羞草研究所檚 motion and actions with words like 害羞草研究所減laying,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渆xploring,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渟ighing,害羞草研究所� and making 害羞草研究所渟peaking movements.害羞草研究所� Those words assign human traits and properties to a fetus that are more sophisticated than medicine can prove, said Emily Boevers, a practicing OB-GYN in Iowa and co-founder of Iowans for Health Liberty, which advocates for reproductive health care.

There are signals that the brain is developing and functioning, Boevers said, but the video害羞草研究所檚 language implies 害羞草研究所渁 level of intention that we just can害羞草研究所檛 say is present.害羞草研究所�

What do supporters of the bills say?

Iowa Rep. Luana Stoltenberg, a Republican, said she was impressed by the video害羞草研究所檚 portrayal of science, and she believes showing fetal development could help curious kids understand where they came from.

害羞草研究所淲hat害羞草研究所檚 the worst that can happen?害羞草研究所� Stoltenberg said. 害羞草研究所淢aybe a young child learns how they are developed and grow and so if they become pregnant, they decide maybe I don害羞草研究所檛 want an abortion? Is that a horrible thing?害羞草研究所�

Rose said she believes backlash is being driven by abortion rights advocates who don害羞草研究所檛 want imagery of life in the womb shown because it 害羞草研究所渄irectly threatens their worldview, which is that this is not a life that is worthy of protection.害羞草研究所�

Sen. Patricia Rucker, a Republican in West Virginia, said Baby Olivia isn害羞草研究所檛 preaching or partisan. It shows human growth as 害羞草研究所渁 beautiful, miraculous thing害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� not unlike learning how a chick develops 害羞草研究所� and that teachers can 害羞草研究所渟pringboard from that to further explanation.害羞草研究所�

What do schools already teach about sex and pregnancy?

Many states have started to what is taught about sex education and when. State and federal agencies害羞草研究所� goal in educating students is typically to prevent teen pregnancies and reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Teaching kids about pregnancy and conception should be part of an all-encompassing and medically accurate curriculum, said Katie Christensen, North Dakota害羞草研究所檚 Planned Parenthood director who has a graduate degree in human development and family science.

害羞草研究所淲hen we害羞草研究所檙e looking at promoting healthy well-being, especially in our adolescents, never once have I seen it said 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所楾hese kids really need to see an ultrasound video,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Christiensen said.

North Dakota害羞草研究所檚 law requires health and human sexuality courses to include a three-minute ultrasound video and a computer-generated rendering of development in the womb. While the law doesn害羞草研究所檛 mandate showing Baby Olivia, the state害羞草研究所檚 department of public instruction specifically references it as an option.

The Associated Press asked 12 of North Dakota害羞草研究所檚 largest school districts about the video. Of the 10 that replied, five use Baby Olivia. One is Fargo Public Schools, which accounts for about 10% of the state害羞草研究所檚 students and additionally shows a second video to ninth graders.

Bismarck, the largest district, does not use Baby Olivia. West Fargo Public Schools shows a 害羞草研究所渟ignificantly longer害羞草研究所� video that already was part of the curriculum, the district told the AP in an email, adding that it 害羞草研究所渃overs other information about pregnancy that helps teach additional health standards.害羞草研究所�

Iowa害羞草研究所檚 latest proposal, which passed in committee, would require a video 害羞草研究所� Baby Olivia or something 害羞草研究所渃omparable害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� shown starting in the seventh grade.

West Virginia害羞草研究所檚 proposal would require showing, specifically, Baby Olivia to eighth and 10th graders. Rucker said she expects it to be merged with other bills before it moves to the next step.

Missouri would require the Baby Olivia video by the third grade, while Kentucky害羞草研究所檚 proposal allows any video that meets the standards as early as sixth grade. Both of these bills were introduced in January but have not received hearings.